Mountain Meadows Massacre Essay

The Mountain Meadows Massacre

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The mountain Meadows massacre is a controversial event in history. The massacre has led to heated discussions, anger and misinformation. There have also been several scholarly studies on this issues and this includes the latest work by Ronald Walkers. In the “Massacre at Mountain Meadows”, authors from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provide a critical examination of primary sources related to the massacre. The massacre involved the killing of more than 120 immigrants who had been lured from their fortified encampment by a band of Mormon militia. The immigrants were escorted by the Mormon militia who, with the assistance of Indians who had been convinced

This tension was a result of bitter persecutions of the Mormons which had lasted for over two decades. Mormon leaders urged spiritual values which included blood atonement. Followers were asked to kill Mormons who committed serious sins. Although these teachings did not lead to the massacre, it fuelled fanaticism which led to the massacre. There was a conflict between the Mormon leadership and the federal government as well as Utah. The reactivation of territorial militia led to claims of harassment by Federal officials. Some of the officials fled the state due to fear of being killed by the Mormons. In response, the president ordered an army to Utah to supress the rebellion. This order alarmed Mormon residents in Utah because they saw it as a threat to the existence of their religion. Due to past persecutions, the threat was more real and they considered the army and Federal officials as enemies. Members readied themselves in anticipation of the expected struggle and leaders made efforts to rally support from Indians. The tension heightened after the news that the army was heading to

However, despite these reports and confessions by some of the leaders who had participated in massacre, there was no prosecution because the justice system in Utah was still under Mormon control. The passing of the Poland Act redefined jurisdiction of courts. It restricted the Mormon control of courts and opened juries to non-Mormons. These changes made it possible to prosecute the perpetrators of the massacre. It facilitated the arrest of some members of the Mormon Church who had been implicated in the massacre. John Lee, who had led the immigrants out of their encampment was considered the scapegoat for the incident. He was arrested and brought to trial. After the trial the jury voted to acquit Lee. This led to a second trial, which unlike the first one sought to convict Lee as opposed to trying the Mormon leadership. There was overwhelming evidence against Lee and he was found guilty of murder in the first degree. He was sentenced to be executed and his execution took place a while later. The young children who had been spared during the massacre were adopted by the Mormons. They had been spared because their doctrine made it unforgivable sin to spill innocent blood. The government later established a military camp in Utah and prioritised the location of the survivors of the massacre. The children were retrieved and returned to their relatives in